Sick from work.

[Jenisi]

I'm not too sure about what to do about this. So far this month, I've called out sick once, and left work early once from coughing so much I could hardly talk to customers.

Well the night of Dec 23 it got really bad. I've had symptoms for a little over two weeks now. My voice almost went out, coughing, stuffy nose... But the other night I caught a really high fever. It pretty much ruined my christmas. I forced myself on christmas even to go to the family thing. But after being there an hour I asked to lay down and I slept for the entire thing. Then I woke up, went home and passed out again. Same thing pretty much yesterday.

Anyway, I set my alarm to go to work today, woke up feeling a little better but took my temp and it still was at 100.3 (which is alot better then the 102 it was at yesterday) and i'm still hacking like crazy. And to top it off I've given it to my whole family (mom, grandpa, and cousin)

So anyway, I call work and i'm like guy's, I honestly ccan't make it to work, I still have a fever from 3 days ago and I'm drained as heck, and I know i'm contagious because I've given it to my whole family and my mom is threating to take my keys away if I try to go to work.

So my manager starts snapping at me and telling me I *need* to go to the docter, which I have insurance but i'm still in my deductable and I have 0 dollars in my bank account due to christmas, and today is payday, but I still can't afford it anyway because 80% of my check is going to bills and leaving me about 80-100 bucks for food and gas for the next two weeks and they will bullshit and tell me the same shit anyway since it's viral and they can't do anything for me anyway. I'm so frustrated :(

[Edited on 12-26-2003 by Jenisi]

[theotherjohn]

Originally posted by Jenisi
I'm so frustrated :(
[Edited on 12-26-2003 by Jenisi]

I know it is frustrating but the Boss is thinking yeah right sick during xmas.

Hope you feel better soon

[longshot]

I hope you feel better.

I think you're really cute, by the way.

You have to think about it from the boss's persepctive, like TOJ mentioned. Maybe you'll catch a little flak for it, but since you're not a manager or anything, you'll be fine.

Be sure to thank the people who worked while you were gone. Most people don't do this, but it goes a long way. It really does have a big impact. Even something as simple as "I really thank you for being so understanding while I was out sick. You have no idea how much it meant to me.".

If timed correctly, it has a very large impact.

[Sean]

what they said.

at christmas time where you work theres a major run on the cashiers and they need all the help they can get. so when people start calling out it has to e frustrating for them too. that and osses are generally skeptical when people take off days during the holiday.

all that being said i really hope you feel better soon and can get back to your daily routines.

[Myshel]

The current flu going around is a bitch, it swept our restaurant with most of the employee catching it. The awful part of it is its reoccurring. You feel better and boom it hits you again. From a boss's standpoint I would rather a employee NOT come to work coughing and hacking with a fever (btw.. your most contagious when you have a fever). Sure it makes it tough when your sick for the people who have to cover for you, but what goes around comes around and thats our policy. Its the people who call in when they are hung over that pisses most employers off and believe me WE know who they are. If one of my employees are sick I rather they let me know ahead of time so I get someone to cover in time. I hate when they come to work really sick and then I have to send them home and find someone to cover for them at the last minute.

[Bestatte]

What everyone else said, on both sides of the spectrum. I'd add another point of general policy:

If your employer -orders- you to the doctor, then he is responsible for picking up the tab. If it's required as part of your job, then your job is responsible. Just like your uniform, or mileage if you have to travel beyond your usual drive from your house to your primary place of employment.

In addition, most employers hate for their employees to come in sick, because if they order their employees to go home, they have to pay the employee for the day. If the employee asks to go home, they're off the hook.

It puts the employer in a lousy position because he has to answer to HIS boss, the financial officer, and/or the stockholders to justify why he's paying a sick person to go home, when he could've avoided it by taking it out of the employee's sick time or just not paid for them in the first place (depending on if you get sick days or not).

Try to be understanding of the position your boss is in, and not get too mad at him for being a putz. He's dealing with a whole lot more stress than you are right now, because he has to handle a bunch of sick employees, his customers, his own family, and possibly stressing out about himself getting sick in the process.

In the meantime, I hope you get better real soon, and please try to scrounge up enough coinage for a doctor's visit. Being sick now isn't much fun, but getting sicker is worse. And if there's anything a doctor can do to prevent that, it's worth the debt or cutting back on something for a month (like your subscription to Gemstone - just as an example).

[Souzy]

Hope you feel better. Oh and I have a sore throat, hope I feel better too.

[HarmNone]

Ick. Hopefully, everybody who is stricken with the flu will be feeling better quickly, and the rest of you will be able to avoid getting it at all. This is a nasty flu that is going around right now. As an employer, I have made it crystal clear to my employees that, if they are sick, I do not want them at work. It is best for them, and best for their workmates if they stay at home.

HarmNone

Am i the only one who just skips over the many Bestette essays now?

[Drew2]

ROFL Before I got to the bottom of this thread I was thinking "I bet everyone skips her essays now" and POOF. Ranger understands me.


Edit: Yes I skip them, by the way. She either just reiterates everything already said or pours inane facts and annecdotes into boring paragraphs.

[Edited on 12-26-2003 by Tayre]

[Skirmisher]

This one was not bad.

In fact I actually agreed with about all she said.

I also wish all you with various bugs a swift recovery!

[Tsa`ah]

Just when you think you've got this bug kicked.... it comes back and bites you in the ass twice as hard.

Let me get better or let me die already....

[Drew2]

I vote die.

[Kurapira]

Originally posted by RangerD1
Am i the only one who just skips over the many Bestette essays now?

LOL, I do too. I agree with said comments on her.

Now to Janisi..Read the thread and I agree too. Personally, I let people go who get suddenly "sick" around the holidays. Why? Because I'm a cold-hearted bastard and most of the time those "sick" people are repeating offenders.

[Czeska]

If you have a regular doctor, you may want to call them and explain your financial situation. They may be willing to call you in an antiviral to the pharmacy, or simply fax over a note to your boss. Some doctors are sticklers for honesty, some feel their patients are more important.

[Jenisi]

Now to Janisi..Read the thread and I agree too. Personally, I let people go who get suddenly "sick" around the holidays. Why? Because I'm a cold-hearted bastard and most of the time those "sick" people are repeating offenders. [/quote]

NOT Janisi - It's Jenisi

[Skirmisher]

But...arent you two the same person?

::runs swiftly::

[Jenisi]

DON'T GO THERE

[Snapp]

Try working in a drug store. :) I feel like I should wear surgical masks to work and spray Lysol in front of me most of the time.

[Halfsilver]

I asked to go home early on Saturday. Everyone at work was sick. I was cowering in my cubicle all day, for fear of catching this super flu that's going around. I finally got fed up with it and left.

[Stunseed]

Originally posted by Bestatte
If your employer -orders- you to the doctor, then he is responsible for picking up the tab.

because if they order their employees to go home, they have to pay the employee for the day. If the employee asks to go home, they're off the hook.

No boss is going to pay for your ass to go to a doctor. Health insurance, you pay for it. If you don't pay for health insurance, and you're sick enough to need to go to a doctor, you're paying for it. Pick your poison, because the boss isn't going for that.

I'm sorry, I don't know what the fuck world you're in, but that doesn't happen in the real world. I live it, both ends management and underling, and if someone told me I HAD to pay them because they got sick, I'd laugh at em. If it occurs in the workplace, a claim is written up. They go through that, but they don't get paid at the store level. If you go home, you don't get paid unless you use sick, personal, or vacation time. If you stay and try to work, you are subject to performance appraisal.

I know most people leave your posts alone, but I'm telling you that what you've posted isn't what's going on. Believe me or not, I personally don't care, but I live the life of this scenario.

Love you Jolena!

[Drew2]

BESTATTE KNOWS ALL DO NOT QUESTION HER OR YOUR HEAD WILL EXPLODE.

[Jenisi]

Sorry but I believe what Bes was saying is that if he ORDERS somone to go in order to come back to work. I have health insurance and I'm still under deductable since I normally have excellent health and never have to use it but pay for it anyway. And I had plenty of sick time saved up (Like 70 hours) so..

And just for an update check, I'm finally over the flu. Manager didn't even mention a doctor's note when I came back in just said he was glad to see I was feeling better.

[CrystalTears]

I flew to Florida for the Christmas holiday and I wound up in bed for 4 days with the flu. For Christmas Eve I dragged my tired bones to our friend's house for dinner but I was wiped out when I got home. The flu is nasty this year and I think most people I know have either gotten the flu or at least a really bad cold from it. I still have a stupid cough that won't completely go away. I hate coughing.

And usually when an employer asks you to go to the doctor, it's usually when they're busy so that you can prove your reasons for not going to work and not just because it's the holidays and don't want to go in, or because you've been out for more than a couple of days. Whether you go in or not, they're not liable to pay you anything. Even if they say you can go home, the time left over will come out of your personal/sick time. I've never heard of an employer paying anyone for a full day because they told you to go home early. It's understood that they won't pay you for a full day's work if you didn't work it.

[Edited on 12/30/2003 by CrystalTears]